Pick Your Own!

Growing up in Essex County, I always thought of farms as distant, possibly made-up places. When I would happen to pass one on a family car trip, I would marvel, “Ooh, cows!” as if they were some sort of exotic creatures. Seasonal apple-and-pumpkin-picking outings were a big treat, but it was always a trek to get to the privately-owned orchards where such activity was available.

A few weeks ago, I was searching the state (via the internet, obviously) for a place to pick strawberries, and I stumbled across a site for a family-owned farm, situated right off of familiar route 23 in Wayne. At last! A quaint, rural atmosphere within minutes of a bustling three-lane highway. This is why I love New Jersey.

On my inaugural visit to Farms View, my two friends and I pulled into the parking lot to find a bright-red, cheery one-story building that serves as their market. Rows and rows of beautiful, home-grown potted flowers lead up to the entrance, while the modest fields sit bright green and quiet behind the store. A helpful employee gave us a cardboard box and pointed us to the rows of strawberry plants, where a few patrons were already at work gathering the berries. As we headed out to join them, one woman was on her way back in with a sad little collection of fruit in her tray. “This is way too much work,” she said. “I’m beginning to change my mind about immigration laws.” Riiiight….anyway, out to the fields.

I’m not sure if it was toward the end of the peak growing season, or if other customers had gotten the best stuff before me, but I found that it wasn’t easy to locate any really good berries. Regardless, it was very quiet and peaceful walking the rows, searching for the elusive fruit. With a little diligence and the help of my fruit-picking friends, I wound up with almost two pounds of ripe berries.

With our chief objective accomplished, we headed back to the store to pay for our haul (about $3 per pound). But we got sidetracked by the chickens, goats, and other creatures who were relaxing in their fenced-in areas. We gawked and waved at them like true city-folk, and made our way over to greet a friendly-looking, small-ish horse. This animal must be really used to people because she (I checked. It was a girl horse) let us pet her fuzzy nose to our hearts’ content. She even licked our hands in search of treats.

Having communed thoroughly with nature, we headed into the store and picked out some more fresh produce. They were selling all kinds of fruits and vegetables, as well as novelties like bird houses, candle holders, and those clever hand-painted signs that say stuff like “Bless This Mess” and “$5 Fine for Whining.” Everyone working there was pleasant and happy to help us, and we browsed freely.

While the strawberry season has already come and gone, check out Farms View’s great selection of pre-picked produce, home-grown potted flowers, and assorted kitsch. And visit the animals while you’re there! To find other local farms where you can pick seasonally available fruits and escape the suburbs for a little while, visit http://www.pickyourown.org/.

Farms View Roadstand
945 Black Oak Ridge Road
Wayne
(973) 839-1212
http://www.farmsview.com/

— by Nicole Little
Nicole, GoOutJersey's associate editor, is a Nutley native and recent Weehawken transplant. She loves dining out and imposing her opinions on others, which makes her a well-qualified reviewer.

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